𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐃 // 𝐇.𝐒.

67.

Chapter 67

HARRY

I made love to my wife on the rooftop where I promised her forever.

Every inch of her, I kissed because for the first time in so long it was just her and me. Her soft moans were like music, the kind that makes you feel, as I kissed between her legs.

She was sweeter along my tongue and I think it's because she's all mine. As fictitious as our wedding may be, it was as real as it gets. I hope she knows I would never forget this day.

She tugged my hair and squeezed my head with her thighs as the tip of my tongue made traces along her clit. My wife was trembling as I forced her thighs to open wider for me.

She yelled my name and it only made me moan along the redness of her slit. I looked up from my place and the wash of moonlight on her skin made her look incredibly irresistible. I was stiff, so fucking stiff in my pants as I watched her reach her high.

I sucked at her pierced clit when I sensed she was about to come. As she gasped for air and cursed to the sky, I watched as her chest had then fallen with a beautiful sigh. I licked her cum right off, my eyes settled on her face as she whispered thank you under her beautiful breath.

I sat up, licking my lips as I watched her fingers rub at her pussy as if she ached for more. After I'd undone my pants, I grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her onto me. She moaned, straddling her hips and locking her hands behind my head as I positioned myself underneath her.

"I love you," I muttered against the crook of her neck. "My sweet girl, my wife."

"Oh, my God," she spat when I made her sit on my cock. She took me in, rolling her hips at the same time to fit me deeper.

I kissed her neck. I sucked at the skin below her ear as my hands tightly gripped her thighs. She always took me so gracefully. The way her jaw drops, the way she softly whimpers, and the way she grinds to make sure I feel pleasure.

"My angel," I mumbled, finding enough breath in me to talk. Her friction was beginning to send me to heaven.

She kissed me, knowing how much I desired to feel her tongue in my mouth. "I love you," she finally said back to me before a sharp gasp ripped out from her.

I had rocked my hips, controlling her own with my grip. Watching her bounce harder on me made me groan against her chest.

Her oversized sweater had remained on her body, but I can imagine her tits bouncing underneath. I hummed over the way every part of her body is vividly engraved into my brain.

She grew tired and her knees might have felt weak. With a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth, I lay her back. I deeply filled her with my dick, wanting her to feel me pulsate. The moment her hips had writhed, I dragged myself out.

I flipped her body and she hugged a pillow to her chest. With another moan, she took me again with a bent knee. I hovered over her, thrusting rough enough to make me sweat, enough to make her clench around me.

She was begging me not to stop, to keep fucking her. My hand had found its way around her neck. I felt her thickly swallow as she tilted her head back. I could see her in the light of the moon and I watched her orgasm with mouth agape.

"Yes, yes," she was moaning as I came deep inside of her. Breathlessly, she opened her eyes and when I parted, she turned around to look at me.

I kissed her again even if I felt out of breath. The cold wind felt more extreme as it met with the sweat sticking to my forehead.

My wife.

I married the love of my life and she was right. We didn't need papers to tell us our marriage was real. I'm married to her and maybe someday we could recreate this moment in front of her mum and dad... but as of now, this was ours.

We must've stayed on the roof for hours. We might've even fallen asleep, but sometime before sunrise, we wrapped up our honeymoon and traveled back down to the safe house. Quietly, we snuck into our room.

There was a moment when she stood in the hallway before following me into our room. I watched her slowly come back down to earth, probably wondering how Penny and Sophie were after the tragedy.

We found out much later in the day that their father's body was cremated and that Penny was the one who insisted. Of course, my Elle went out of her way to check how she and her sister were doing.

We kept our marriage on the rooftop to ourselves. Maybe because there was already too much going on or maybe because we both silently agreed this would be our private oath. Though, we wore our rings proudly—even if hers fit her a little too big.

"Paco is ready for us," she tells me when the time to meet Zayn by the pier again has come.

I promised her we could meet with Zayn again. She wanted to make sure he was okay with the plan when it includes him. Because I promised to give her anything she wants, I had sent Zayn another discreet message that would send him running to the pier.

"Then let's go," I say, taking her hand before we leave together and head for the van in the alley.

In the back of Paco's white van, she sits between my legs and with her back against my front. I hug her as we rock from the motion of the moving vehicle.

"I don't know about this anymore," she speaks up after a long moment of quiet.

"What do you mean?"

"Am I asking Zayn for too much? He doesn't owe me anything."

I figured she was overthinking in her mind from how quiet she was. "No," I answer. "I think it might be convenient for him. It's been days since Dante has asked him to bring you to him. Zayn doesn't have long until he punishes him for not doing the job." Despite my hatred for this plan, I couldn't lie to her about the reality.

"I don't want that," she says.

I know she doesn't.

Taking in the scent that her beautiful hair gives off, I feel comforted. I then kiss her shoulder.

We arrived at the pier just in time. The sun hasn't set, giving us enough to walk to a lonely bench. With hoods over our heads, we hop out of the van and walk hand in hand. As we get mixed into the crowd, I'm comfortable enough to take my hood off. She does the same but hugs my arm to keep close.

"I gave the stuffed animal I won last time to Sophie," she tells me as we pass the carnival rides and games.

"Did you?" I smile at that. "Did she like it?"

"Oh, she loved it. She told me she wants a dog one day... Which reminds me to ask you, can we get a dog when we move in together?" She looks up at me at the same moment we find a bench almost nearing the end of the pier.

I press my lips into a thin line as I sit down.

"Should I have asked you this before we got married?" She's grinning.

"In my vows, I promised I'd give you anything you want... so yes, we can get a dog," I tell her.

"We can?!" Throwing her arms around me as she is next to me on the bench, I smile as she kisses my cheek. "Wait, are you sure? Dogs are amazing. How come you don't like them? Are you a cat person?"

Meeting her eyes, I chuckle. "I'm not a pet person," I admit, mostly because I never had them. "I don't know, my love, but I'm sure it'll grow on me if it brings you so much joy."

Kissing my lips this time, she hums against them. "I think I was the same way until I met my grandpa's german shepherd. I fell in love with her."

Remembering well about the dog she once mentioned to me, I nod. "You said you gave your grandpa's dog away to a family, right?"

She nodded, but sadly as if it pained her. "I couldn't keep her. My roommate at the time refused even though she was such a good dog."

I kiss her this time and all I can think is, wouldn't it be nice if I could somehow find that dog and bring it back to her?

I make the note in my mind to reach for the stars so that my Elle can be happy. I'm willing to go above and beyond for her. I have to make it all up, for what we are about to endure when it's all over.

"I think I missed a few chapters."

We break from our kiss when we both hear a voice belonging to Sutton. I sit up and before I know it, my wife jumps up from the bench to almost tackle Sutton. She even lifts her off the ground and all I can hear is their excited laughter.

I look up to my left and I see Zayn. He drops a heavy hand onto my shoulder and he laughs when he looks at the girls. "She wanted to come when I told her where I was going," he refers to his girlfriend.

Breaking from their hug, Sutton grabs Elle by her shoulders and looks right at her. "Yeah, I needed to come. Jo, I fucking love you, but what the fuck?!"

"What?" she responds, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"You didn't have to give us the money," Sutton explains. "You guys deserve to get the hell out of here."

"Don't worry about us," she assures and she glances over at me with a smile. "We will get out of here, but I have something to do first. It's why we wanted to meet with you, Zayn."

"Tell me, Butterfly."

When she turns to face him, she fiddles with her fingers. "Remember that thing you told me about Dante wanting you to bring me to him?" And she tells him the rest of her plan, in detail, and where he fits in it.

There's a silence that falls between both Sutton and Zayn.

"And you think it'll work?" Sutton is the first to ask.

"I have to try."

Slowly, Zayn nods his head and agrees. "I can do that... but, Butterfly, I can't protect you once you're in there. Once he has you."

"You don't have to... But I need you to leave the scene as fast as you can. I can't protect you once the Angelos invade," she explains and Zayn's eyes immediately flicker to me.

He doesn't have to say anything. I can tell he wonders if I'm all for this plan. I can only hope he spares me from admitting that I'm not alright with this at all.

But when he looks at her again, he says, "Okay... Just say when, butterfly."

"Hold on. I don't like the sound of this," Sutton shares, but Zayn is quick to tend to her side.

"It's going to be fine," he assures. "Why don't you go visit your Aunt who lives up north? Take Stark with you and I promise I'll meet you there soon." He then kisses her forehead.

Hesitantly, she nods. 

"I'm sorry, Sutton... I know I'm asking for a lot—" says Elle.

"Shut up," Sutton cuts her off and goes in for another hug. "Even though it's scary, you can always count on us."

"That means so much," she mumbles into curly hair.

"If you have any good news to outweigh this bad, please share," Sutton quietly asks and then they part.

"Well-" She turns her head to me. "We got married."

I can't quit the grin from spreading across my face when Elle says it out loud for the first time. Making her way to my side again, I lift an arm to wrap it around her shoulders.

"What the hell?" Sutton reacts, but she has a smile as big as ours. "When?! And you didn't invite us? You didn't make me your maid of fucking honor?"

Laughing, Zayn interrupts, "What she means to say is, congrats. Happy for you—for both of you."

"The next time I see you guys, you'll probably have five kids," says Sutton, still adding to her disbelief.

"We just did it," I tell them, but I can't stop looking at my wife. "I had to marry her and I did."

I hear Sutton fond over the sight of me kissing Elle. With a soft kiss on her mouth, I pull her in for a hug and it's never felt so good to hold her this way in public.

"I fucking knew it... from the very beginning," Sutton says again. "Didn't I tell you, babe? I told you she would be the one to make him less of an asshole."

Smiling against my cheek, she kisses me once more before saying, "You weren't ever an asshole, my love. Don't listen to her. You were so gentle and kind from the start."

She makes them laugh when reading through her sarcasm. I roll my eyes, but then I laugh too. "Are we done here? I'm ready to go."

"No!" Sutton shouts. "I refuse to let you guys go anywhere. When is this happening, Jo? The plan, I mean."

"As soon as possible," she answers. "I'm ready... so are the Angelos."

Taking Elle's hand into hers, she pulls her away from my side. "We're hanging out first because the last time we saw each other, we said goodbye. I don't want to do that again so we're going to hang out before shit goes down. Okay?"

"Okay," she responds voluntarily and I watch Sutton link their arms together. They walk off, towards the attractions.

"Are you good?" Zayn asks me.

"No," I tell the truth. "I don't want her to do what she plans to do. My worst fear is that she will get hurt."

Looking over at the girls, Zayn slowly nods then looks at me again. "I know what you mean. I wouldn't want her to get hurt either."

"S'why I'm going to fucking kill him."

He shifts from one foot to the other as his hands fit deep into the pockets of his jacket. "You know what that means... What could happen if you do that."

"No, shit... but I can't sit there and wait for him to finish what he started. He has to be dead and he will be, Z."

He shrugs his shoulders, knowing he can't fight me when he would do the same thing for Sutton. "We should find them," he says when the girls are no longer in view.

JOELLE

I tell her everything that's happened since the last time I saw her. I don't leave anything out as we share a churro near the swinging dragon ride.

"Damn," she comments after I've finished summarizing my eventful few days. She then licks the sugar off her lips before adding, "and now you're married."

With a smile, I look down at the ring I clutch against my finger to keep it from slipping off. "Technically, I know we aren't actually married—"

"Fuck that. If you're married in your eyes, you're married in mine," Sutton assures, proving just how much she continues to support me. "I'm just sad I wasn't there to see Harry cry. Did he really cry?"

"He did," I say and laugh with her.

She finishes the churro, crumping up the parchment paper it had been wrapped in. After tossing it in a nearby trash can, she then turns to me. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" I ask, noticing the shift in seriousness as she looks at me.

"I haven't told Zayn yet... but I'm pregnant."

My eyes widen, my arms fall from the embrace I held on myself and I gasp. "You're—"

"Yes!" She finally breaks into her smile. "It was fucking scary at first because kids were not what I wanted. I don't know, I always thought I would be a terrible mom."

I quickly shake my head to disagree. "You're going to be a fucking amazing mom, Sutton. Oh my, God, congratulations!" I show my excitement with a laugh before I pull her into my arms for a hug.

She groans from my squeeze. "I hope so," she mumbles before laughing with me.

"When are you going to tell him?" I ask her, running my hands down her arms when I pull back.

"I don't know yet... I'm thinking when he meets me up north."

I press my lips together. "I can't wait to see both of you as parents. That child is going to be beautiful."

Sutton grins. "You're going to be an aunt. You are going to visit, right?"

"Of course, I am. I've always wanted to be an aunt!" I say and shake her a little. "Do you know what you're having?"

"Not yet, Butterfly... Fuck, it feels so good to tell somebody else."

"Thank you for telling me. I needed that bit of good news, too."

She nods, looking over at Zayn and Harry as they hold a conversation of their own a few feet away. "So this better work in our favor because I can't raise a baby on my own."

As she brings reality into the picture, my smile slowly falls. I look over at Zayn and Harry, too, but I won't let myself think of the worst. "As long as we stick to the plan," I say.

"Okay," she whispers and reaches for my hand to hold. When she looks at me, she's smiling again. "You and Harry better work on having kids so our babies can grow up together. Wouldn't that be nice?!"

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" I tease, squeezing her hand as I feed into her excitement.

"What would be nice?" Zayn asks as he and Harry walk up to us.

Harry takes my hand the moment I let go of Sutton's, he pulls me into his body and he's quick to press a kiss against my head.

"Nothing," Sutton whispers with a grin as she also takes Zayn's side.

"We should get going," then says Harry as my head rests against his chest.

"So soon?" Sutton pouts.

I give her a small nod then I say, " But I'll see you later."

We say our goodbyes and this time it was much harder. I didn't want to let go of Sutton and I couldn't look Zayn in the eye over the guilt of having to include him in my plan. I feel the most selfish I've ever been when doing the most selfless thing I've ever done.

Before having to walk away, we set a time, a place, and a date for when Zayn would take me to Dante. With only fifteen hours until then, I don't know how I'll make it through the night.

We get to the van and we find Paco asleep in the driver's seat. I knock on the window and he jolts awake as if he wasn't just drooling.

"Morning," I tease just before he starts his van and unlocks the doors.

Climbing into the back with Harry, I watch him carefully. I already know he has some thoughts on how soon we'll be executing the plan. I wait until we're on the road back to the safe house before I ask, "How are you feeling?"

"How are you feeling?"

"I can't lie to you... I'm feeling scared over the way I've only met him once yet he's managed to torment me. I don't want to face him, but I know I have to."

He sits across from me and it's hard to see his expression from how dark it is now that the sun has set. "He'll try to manipulate you. Manipulate him, first," Harry suggests. "Make him think you're on his side."

The way he's giving me pointers tells me he's coming around with the idea.

"There's nothing he feeds off more than thinking he's winning and unthreatened," he adds.

"You'll be able to hear everything, remember? Now that Finny has brought in the equipment."

"If I'm able to talk to you, too... I will."

"Please do," I say with a nod. "I'm going to want to hear your voice." I then scoot towards him and I straddle his lap just to be close.

With hands sliding over my hips and onto my ass, he kisses me first. I feel the softness of his lips and the warmth of his tongue as my fingers grip the hair on the back of his head.

I grind my hips forward, adding friction over his lap and he instantly bites my bottom lip. I grin when he lets me go. I don't have to be drunk to feel the urge of feverishly wanting to kiss his mouth and down his neck.

He kisses me harder as I come back up from his neck. We don't separate until we arrive.

I climb off of him as our ride has ended. The shift from the van into the bar is short when other Angelos guide us in. They stay vigilant even as the coast has been cleared.

"Have you seen Eileen?" I ask an Angelo.

He tells me where she is and I thank him. I then tell Harry I would be back. With a light squeeze of my hand, he then lets me go.

I make my way to her office, eager to tell her the plan was set. When I find her, she's resting her head above her desk. As I step closer, I gather that she's asleep.

If it were any other time, I would slip out of the room and let her sleep.

"Eileen," I whisper, but she doesn't budge. "Eileen!"

She shoots up in her chair, sucking in a breath and picking up a pen off her desk as her choice of weapon. I take a step back, holding in my laugh as I watch her come out of a daze.

"Oh, fuck," she mutters when she realizes it's just me. She drops her pen and leans back in her chair with tired eyes.

"Sorry," I say with a small grin. "I just wanted to tell you... I talked to Zayn and it's happening. Soon."

"How soon?"

"In... fifteen-hours soon."

"Woah." Eileen sits up. "Tomorrow? But you're still training."

"No, I'm ready, Eileen," I assure. "I don't want to waste any more time, you know that."

She's listening to me, allowing my words to soak before she can believe them. "Okay," she finally says. "I'm ready to kill that asshole, too. Why not?"

"You're not going to kill him," I doubt.

"Do you think I'm bullshitting?" Eileen rises from her chair and raises her arms in the air for a stretch after being cramped over her desk.

"No... I just don't think you should," I tell her. "Figuring... the consequences."

"Oh, I don't care if they kill me. I've got nothing left," she carelessly throws, setting her arms back down. She then rolls her head to relieve her neck.

"Yes, you do... You have this safe house."

She laughs as if I've told her a joke. After a pause, she licks her lips and tells me, "Paco will take over."

"Does he know that?" I cross my arms.

Eileen then frowns. "Are you trying to talk me out of killing that son of bitch?"

"No... I just don't want you to do something stupid."

"Oh, but you can?"

I chew the inside of my lip, watching the short-tempered girl huff and search for a cigarette. "Eileen," I try again. "You shouldn't risk your life for his death. It's not worth it."

"I thought you said you don't care if he gets killed as long as we save your mom?"

"I did, but—"

"Then why can't I be the one to kill him?"

"Because—"

Cutting me off again, she says, "Do you want to kill him yourself?"

I clench my jaw but shake my head at the question. "No."

"Then?"

"I haven't figured it out!" I end up yelling. "Okay? I just know I don't want you to kill him." From how oddly similar she is to Harry, it scares me to think he might be plotting to kill Dante, too.

"Why?" She then presses.

"What do you mean why?" I let out a chuckle and I hardly notice she's much closer to me. "I don't want you to get hurt, Eileen."

She breathes out slowly, a bit sadly. "You hurt me over and over," she then shares, looking right into my eyes to make sure I hear her.

The room falls quiet enough for me to hear my own nervous heartbeat. "I said I was sorry... for lying to you," I remind her in regards to keeping the fact that Harry was an Inferno. She never lets me forget I lied since she found out.

"Do you know what it's like to be so devoted to somebody... but they don't give two shits about you?" She raises an eyebrow, sitting at the edge of her desk where I stand next to. "To top it off, you have to see her every day with someone else—with that someone else who might've just killed your father. It really fucking blows."

I break from her eye contact to look down at the floor.

"You broke my heart," she continues. "Sounds fucking cliche and cringe to say, but... it's true. I hate seeing you with someone like him, Jo."

I don't know what to say as I look back up. I thickly swallow and I shrug my shoulders. "I can understand why you're hurt—"

"Can you, really?" She raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, Eileen," I answer. "It's not ideal, the situation we're in."

She laughs as she agrees.

"And will you leave Harry out of this?" I quietly beg. "I get it, you have your opinions of him—" I pause when she looks away—as if she's tuning me out. With a soft sigh, I then say, "Bottom line, I really don't want you to get hurt, Eileen. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

She presses her lips together and I think she's trying to hold her composure together. "I'm going in there to make him pay for my father's death and for the death of all the other Angelos. I'm not going to kill him because I love you or something. I'm well aware that I could be killed, Jo, but maybe that's my fate. I'm okay with it and I'd appreciate it if you won't try to talk me out of it any further."

I slowly nod, agreeing to let her do what she pleases when it took so much convincing for me to do what I pleased. It's as if the tables have turned.

"I'll let everyone know that the plan will be in motion fifteen hours from now. Get some sleep," Eileen simply says, diverting from her confessions.

I turn on my feet with hands clasped together as I walk out of her office.

It never sits well to know you've hurt someone when it has been the least of your intentions. I would have felt as if I was in the wrong if I hadn't found Harry. Seeing him kneel near the fake grass to be at Sophie's level assures me that I haven't made a mistake at all.

He's talking to her and she's giggling over whatever he says. She tames her wild hair when it gets in the way. It isn't long until Sophie spots me. She points and when Harry turns his head, he grins.

"Joey!" Sophie runs and she hugs my legs when she gets to me.

I look down then at Harry when he walks towards me. I smile, glad to see how happy the little girl is despite what happened. When I look at Sophie again, I reach for her hair. "Hi, pretty girl... Where's Penny?" I ask her as she stays clinging to my leg.

"Mm... I don't know," she answers.

"With your dad," Harry then confirms.

"Have you seen her? How is she?"

"Yeah, your dad asked me to watch Sophie because Penny is helping deliver a baby. I assume she's fine. She looked fine."

I gasp, slowly remembering that my dad mentioned there had been a pregnant woman in this safe house. "What you're saying is... a baby is being born right now?" I raise an eyebrow. "And Penny is helping my dad deliver the baby?"

"Yeah." Harry laughs. "Do you want to go check it out?"

I quickly nod, intrigued by just how resilient Penny is for a teenage girl.

Harry leads the way and Sophie follows while holding onto my hand. From the hallway, I can hear the screams of a woman in labor. I can hear my dad through the open doors telling the woman to push. Then I hear Penny assuring her she's doing amazing.

When the screaming stops, I look at Harry from where we've settled in the hall. An infant cry breaks the silence and I unexplainably well up.

"My love, are you okay?" Harry asks me.

I want to say I'm overwhelmed, but I turn to hug him instead. So much has happened in the last fifteen hours and so much will change in the next fifteen hours. I hug him even tighter because of it and I whisper, "I love you."

"Hey!" I hear Sophie as she tries to squeeze between our legs for attention.

Harry and I pull away from each other to acknowledge the girl. She asks to be carried and Harry doesn't say no. He lifts her with ease. I smile at the sight before saying, "I'm going to take a peek."

"Go ahead."

I walk through the open doors and I see my dad, Penny, and the woman cradling her newborn.

By her bed, my dad sees me. "Sunshine, you missed it!"

I laugh, but I look right at Penny to check if she was fine the way Harry said she was. The teenager is smiling with her hair tied back. She's a little sweaty, but her brown skin glows.

"I was in the hall," I say and then I turn to the woman to introduce myself and congratulate her. She thanks me with the biggest smile and she allows me to see her baby boy. "He's so beautiful."

My dad stands from his stool and he assures the woman he'll come back to check on her. I walk past him to get to Penny.

"Did you really deliver a baby?" I ask with a smile as we step aside together.

She laughs and I'm convinced she really is fine behind how genuine she sounds. "Helped. Dr. D'Amore did most of the work."

"Don't let him take all the credit," I tease. "How are you?"

Penny takes in a deep breath while walking out of the room. I follow her. "I'm getting by... for Sophie. Thanks for asking."

"Of course... I think it's amazing what you've just done."

"It was pretty cool," she agrees. "Also a little weird assuming my dad just died and now I'm suspicious of reincarnation."

I laugh when her small grin allows me to, but I don't say anything when Penny sees her sister. She offers her a hug and Sophie squirms from Harry's arms. The moment he puts her down, she runs to Penny.

"Thank you for watching her for a bit," Penny tells Harry.

"Of course." He nods and I make my way to his side as Penny excuses herself. She takes Sophie with her and I watch them go with a pout.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asks as he wraps an arm around my shoulder.

"How perfect those girls are," I admit and then I look up at him. "When we have kids, we'd be lucky if they turn out to be like them."

Smiling, Harry looks down at me. He doesn't say anything, he just won't quit smiling.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask him this time.

It takes him a moment to say something. Finally, he shares, "What if... they can be our kids?"

I freeze as my hands lock around his waist. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." He pauses again. "Penny can't raise Sophie on her own. They're in here because they'd be homeless out there."

"You're willing to adopt them?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"If we can... if they want to be, then yeah."

I'm smiling wider than ever as our future becomes more clearer in his eyes. "There's a lot to discuss with a huge decision like that," I mention.

"I know... but it's just a thought. It's something to look forward to when all of this is over, don't you think?" He's looking at my lips while he talks.

I kiss him softly to let him know I agree. Adopting Penny and Sophie would be amazing. It would make sense. It doesn't come as a shock to me to think Harry wants to adopt when he grew up in foster homes. I'm already fond of the two girls, it would be easy for me to be someone they could rely on.

But all of this has to be over for that to happen—for Harry and me to live our best lives.

When I pull from his soft kiss, he asks me, "How did your talk with what's-her-face go?"

My hands fall from my hug around his waist. Slowly, I end up sliding down the wall to sit in the hallway and he joins me with legs stretched out in front of us. "It went..." I pause as I recall my conversation with Eileen. "She's still mad and hurt. Won't let me forget I lied to her."

When Harry doesn't say anything, I lift my head and I see him pinching his bottom lip between his fingers. Finally, he drops his hand and says, "Think she's like in love with you, that's why."

I spike an eyebrow.

"It's why I don't like when she's around you," he confesses.

I softly frown. "You don't like when she's around me because you think she's in love with me?"

He shrugs with a chuckle. "Knowing your... history and how she fucking hates me," he mumbles and looks away as if he's nervous to be admitting he's jealous. "I don't know. I don't like it."

I reach for his hand above his lap to hold. "Well, even if she is in love with me and I doubt that she is," I begin to assure. "I love you and only you. Nothing will ever change that."

Almost as if he's relieved, his head tilts back against the wall he leans on. "I love you."

With a smile, I lean in to kiss his chin. I feel the stumble on my lips.

"Angel girl," he whispers. He then smiles softly, lifting the mood. "I beg of you... stop getting other people to fall in love with you. The last time that happened, we committed a crime."

I nudge him with my elbow when he makes me want to laugh over something that shouldn't be funny.

After slipping a laugh of his own, he says, "Or I should just accept that fact that falling in love with you is inevitable. I have to share you, eventually."

"Do you?" I grin as my head also tilts back.

"Mhm... With all of our babies and our dog."

"Dog?" I pout. "You don't mean, dogs?"

"Fuck, no," he playfully answers and I hug his arm with a content grin on my face.

We'll see about that, I want to say, but I press my lips against his shoulder. I kiss him there several times before I find it to be better to kiss his lips instead.

—

real talk, why is matilda about pierced harry??